adjective
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having succeeded in one's endeavours
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marked by a favourable outcome
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having obtained fame, wealth, etc
Usage
Spelling tips for successful The word successful is hard to spell because it can be hard to know which letters are doubled. Both the c and the middle s are doubled, but the f and l are not. How to spell successful: To be a success, you need to see (two Cs) Some Smarts (two Ss). This reminds you that success is spelled with a double C in the middle and a double S at the end. To spell successful, you add the base word (success) to the suffix -ful.
Other Word Forms
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half-successfulnessnoun
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successfulnessnoun
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half-successfuladjective
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nonsuccessfuladjective
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presuccessfuladjective
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quasi-successfuladjective
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semisuccessfuladjective
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half-successfullyadverb
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nonsuccessfullyadverb
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presuccessfullyadverb
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quasi-successfullyadverb
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semisuccessfullyadverb
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successfullyadverb
Etymology
Origin of successful
Explanation
If you win or do well, at whatever it is you do, you are successful. Successful people usually get more money, attention, and praise. If you go into business and make a lot of money, you're successful. If you play tennis and finish the season with more wins than losses, you've been successful. If you have a successful pregnancy, you give birth to a healthy baby. Successful is one of those words that covers a great deal of ground; it generally applies to anything, anyone or any venture that ends well. When you see the word successful, think "Winning!"
Vocabulary lists containing successful
Power Suffix: -ful
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
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-ful
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That successful defense is now at risk if the restrictions on Starshield persist, Ukrainian officers and military analysts warn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Time will tell whether the changes are as successful as hoped.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Since its premiere last week and subsequent successful box office, awards season buzz has been escalating around the film, Fielder and co-director Lance Oppenheim.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Most voters interviewed by AFP agreed that Collins had done well in funneling federal funding back to Maine over the years and that 58-year-old newcomer Jackson would not be so successful.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Advertisement for the wildly successful book Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
